Denial

Fandom: Wizards Vs Aliens

Rating: K+

Genre: Humor; Friendship

Pairing: Implied Tom/Lexi

Word count: 772

Summary: Lexi confides in Jathro and finds out more about her feelings than what she thought. Implied Tom/Lexi ONESHOT.

AN: This basically spawned from me wanting to write some Nekross Lexi for a change where she was friends with Jathro (because she was pretty mean to the poor guy when Varg was around, but as pleasent as a Nekross could be at that point when it was just them.) And then this happened. A story in which Jathro ships Texi and Lexi is in denial.

DISCLAIMER, I own nothing.

Also published on AO3.

"Technician?"

"Ah. Lexi." He looked up from whatever he was doing (Varg had sent him to fix something, or so Lexi had heard). Is all well?"

"Yes. Well, not exactly. I think I need a confidant." Lexi hovered by the door, trying to refrain from wringing her hands together (a horrible nervous tic she had had since early childhood).

Jathro lowered his voice. "You have something to confide?"

"Not here." The two of them exchanged looks, before Jathro simply nodded and let Lexi direct him out of the room and into the corridor. It was more prone to onlookers, of course, but, for the current moment, it was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

"What is wrong?"

"I think...I mean, I cannot be sure, but..."

"Lexi?"

"I think that I am unwell."

"Have you spoken to anyone else about this?"

"No. If there was a chance that Varg were to overhear..." She glanced behind her quickly, before carrying on. "I refuse to be condemned to die yet."

"But, Lexi, I cannot -"

"You must know something," she interrupted, suddenly pleading. "You have more experience than I do. All I know is how to behave in polite society."

And even then sometimes she doesn't use that knowledge, Jathro thought, with a slight smile at his sort-of-friend.

"Well, how are you feeling right now?"

"Alright, I suppose. It's gone away for the moment."

"When it does feel bad, how do you feel, then?"

"My stomach feels...peculiar. I get a sort of..." She struggled to find the right word. "...fluttering. Fluttering and churning in my stomach. My heart rate keeps increasing, I cannot concentrate on anything, I have lost the appeal for food I once had, and for some odd reason, I feel happy at nothing in particular." She glanced at her friend. "What does it mean? Have you heard of an illness with such symptoms?"

For a moment, Jathro said nothing. Then:

"HeheheheheAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

"Jathro! It is not funny!" Lexi stared at him, aghast.

"Forgive me," Jathro said, once his laughter had subsided. "It's just, you are not ill."

"Am I not?" Lexi looked confused. "But, then, what -?"

"You, my friend, are in love with someone."

"What!? Ridiculous!"

"You can mock, but it isn't ridiculous. All the signs are there - increased heartbeat, peculiar stomach, cheerful for no reason, lost appetite, no concentration span...They are all what you just described."

"But...but..."

"So, who is it?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean! Who is the lucky gentleman that has Lexi, Princess of Nekron, swept off her feet?"

"I do not know."

"Or maybe you do not want to know. Hm. Your lack of willingness to tell me or even admit it to yourself means that it is someone people would not approve of. Let's see...Who do you think about a lot, who would not be suitable for you to be in love with...?"

"I cannot believe that you are considering this."

"Aha!" He grinned at her. "It's me, is it not?"

"Wh -!? Do not flatter yourself, Jathro!"

"Alright. Maybe not myself, then. Hm...one of the other staff, maybe? Someone of a lower status than yourself? One of the humans - Oh! This time, I definetly know!"

"Alright. Who, then?"

"It's the halfling, is it not?"

Lexi blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"

"Tom Clarke, the halfling wizard." Jathro beamed smugly. "Oh, this is just adorable!"

"Jathro -!"

"This is too much to take in!"

"I do not -..." Lexi struggled for an argument. "I'm not -..."

"Oh, but you are. I can see it in your eyes now - Look at that!"

"What?"

"Your eyes keep becoming dilated every time you think of him. You're thinking of him right now, aren't you?"

Yes. I was thinking about how nice his eyes are, specifically. "No!"

"Now that I think about it, I'm not surprised. It was obvious, really."

"No, it is not "obvious", as you say, Jathro."

"And why is that?" He looked amused.

"Because it is completely untrue!" She huffed. "I am regretting ever coming to you for help!"

"That is only because you do not want to admit to the truth."

Lexi opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't think of anything remotely clever or appropriate to say. Letting out another huff of frustration (although, it was slightly mixed with relief in the knowledge that she wasn't ill and would not be sent back to Nekron in a funeral ship), she turned away, unable to look into Jathro's grinning I-know-everything expression, and stomped back the way she had come, trying not to think about the stupid halfling wizard with the stupid beautiful-looking eyes.

Jathro is basically all of us fans put together. He is the ultimate fanboy.